Archives

On Sale:

Winners VISITPENSACOLA.COM The Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau was recently honored by the Web Marketing Association for outstanding travel website during the 9th Annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC). Visit Pensacola, Carnival Cruise Lines and ESPN Wide World of Sports/Disney Resort were the three winners in the travel website category. The IAC Awards are produced by the Web Marketing Association to honor excellence in online advertising, recognize the individuals and organizations responsible and showcase the best in award-winning Internet advertising.

MICHAEL RICHARDSON The Gulf Coast Chorale has been very fortunate to have Michael Richardson as its artistic director for the past 15 years. In addition to being an outstanding director, he is also an accomplished composer and arranger, with many of his works widely published, recorded and performed internationally. Richardson has announced that this will be his final season. He has been a tremendous asset to the cultural fabric of this area.

EMERALD COAST UTILITIES AUTHORITY The shutdown of the Main Street Sewage Treatment Plan began on April 25. ECUA Board dedicated the new, $316-million Central Water Reclamation Facility, the largest public works project in the history of Escambia County, this past fall, and is ready to completely switch all flow to it.
According to projected plans, the anticipated timeframe for dismantling the facility, which was originally designed and constructed in 1937, is approximately nine to 12 months, once the Authority’s Board awards the winning contractor bid this Spring.

Losers ESCAMBIA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT The administration and school board has had a rough 45 days. First, the bungled investigation of a sex assault at Tate High School. Followed by the IN investigative report that revealed discipline and other problems at the district’s prized turnaround school, Warrington Middle. Last week, a music teacher was arrested for allegedly molesting a female student, and an elementary teacher failed to report to law enforcement a child turning over marijuana until after school. The new district mascot has become the ostrich.

MATT GAETZ The state representative, whose district covers the southwest corner of Santa Rosa County, isn’t winning high marks for responding to his constituents. Santa Rosa County Commission Chairman Lane Lynchard thought he had an agreement with Gaetz to preserve the county’s ability to regulate the gun range in his district, but he can’t get him to return his calls. An Okaloosa County delegation attended a committee meeting to protest changes to pre-trial programs, only to be called out by Gaetz after the meeting.

BROWNSVILLE In 2007, Brownsville Middle School was closed. Four years later, it sits abandoned, dragging down the value of the surrounding properties. Superintendent Malcolm Thomas refused last November a $500,000 offer by Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, thinking he had a $1 million proposal coming from Diversity Program Advisors. That offer was withdrawn last week, when Habitat for Humanity decided not to purchase 10 acres of the land from DPA. When will the School Board develop a plan for its excess property?